Weird Type of Pain - feels like an electrical shock

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steelmillgal
steelmillgal Member Posts: 5
edited August 2022 in Pain

Hi Gals,

I had my mastectomy/chemo/radiation back in the 2002 - 2004 timeframe. It seems like the last few weeks though, that I feel a sharp, electrical shock type of pain on my right side where I had the cancer at. Does anyone know if this is some type of nerve damage or something? It feels like a quick, sharp pain like someone cattle-prodded me and then goes away but when it happens it is painful and I jump from this! <sigh> Any ideas?

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited September 2020

    Steelmill - if this has been happening for more than two weeks, it's time to call your doc. It's probably a good idea is you keep a log for a few days so you can pinpoint time of day & circumstances (did you just eat, or finish jogging or roll out of bed). Do let us know what the doc says.

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  • steelmillgal
    steelmillgal Member Posts: 5
    edited September 2020

    MinusTwo, thank you for your reply. I saw some posts for "zingers" but that seemed more like that happened to people closer to when they had surgery than what I am experiencing (18 years later)! I get these while I I am up, but it doesn't seem to matter if I am sitting or standing/walking.

    I wouldn't want to get one of these while driving, etc. I might start with my PCP, but she may refer me to someone else. Just had a chest x-ray earlier this year that didn't flag any issues with my implants or any other issues, so that made me think maybe this is some type of nerve damage.

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited September 2020

    Do keep good notes. Good luck. Please do update everyone.

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited September 2020

    Some zingers can show up YEARS later. I had a hysterectomy in 2008 and I get occasional jagged-hot-poker-jabbing the scar tissue at the top of my vagina where my cervix used to be. When I went to my breast surgeon for weird pains almost two years out from my lumpectomy (turned out to be nothing), she told me she had an appendectomy years ago and every once in awhile, she'll get a sharp pain at the surgical site. Our bodies do crazy things, not always for a reason.

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  • Sunflower_82
    Sunflower_82 Member Posts: 3
    edited August 2021

    Hi,

    I have also been having shock-like nerve pain. I had my b/l mastectomy on 7/23/20, chemo, revision surgery, then completed radiation in January of this year (2021). All of a sudden, in July, I began having sharp, shock-like nerve pains on the cancer side. IT OCCURS MULTIPLE TIMES DAILY AT THIS POINT! Sometimes it's on the inner part of the implant and other times it's below the axilla (where my JP drains were) or, oddly, near the areola where it's basically numb. Other times, though less frequent, it feels like there's an itch under some of the numb areas, which drives me crazy. My MD offered to prescribe gabapentin, but I don't want to take more meds. He also suggested NSAIDS, and Aleve did help, but between having high blood pressure, the potential stress on the kidneys and the bleeding risk, I'm not willing to depend on daily NSAIDS. The pains are like lightning, so, of course, I can't prepare for them and they are intense enough that I jump/gasp/groan. Aside from the frustration due to the frequency and persistence, I am afraid it will happen in work settings and I will be jumping/distracted repeatedly from the pains. I don't know whether to think nerve damage or nerve regeneration. My nerves were damaged the moment they removed all of my breast tissues and radiation ended over 6 months ago, so why now??? Has this happened to anyone? Has any light been shed on a possible cause or effective non-pharmacological interventions?

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  • KathleenL
    KathleenL Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2021

    I had lymph node removal & rads 2004 after lumpectomy - stage 1 grade 1 ER+ (I really burnt very bad). The past 2 weeks the area where the nodes removed is severe pain. Numb and tingling down arm but no pitting. Does anyone know what kind of tests they do for this? I already take gabapentin for my migraines.

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  • themrslewis
    themrslewis Member Posts: 6
    edited August 2022

    hi Kathleen,

    I am curious if you found relief and what the cause was?

    TIA

    Chri

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